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Coronavirus: The Infodemic - September 21


Migrant workers and their family members lineup outside the Anand Vihar bus terminal to leave for their villages during a government-imposed nationwide lockdown as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus in New Delhi on March 28, 2020. (Photo by Bhuvan BAGGA / AFP)
Migrant workers and their family members lineup outside the Anand Vihar bus terminal to leave for their villages during a government-imposed nationwide lockdown as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus in New Delhi on March 28, 2020. (Photo by Bhuvan BAGGA / AFP)

Fake news about the coronavirus can do real harm. Polygraph.info is spotlighting fact-checks from other reliable sources here​.

Daily Debunk

"AFP photo of Indian migrant workers leaving Delhi falsely circulated as 'Myanmar people fleeing to Thailand after coronavirus outbreak'," Agence France-Presse, September 21.

Social Media Disinfo

Screenshot
Screenshot

Circulating on social media: Claim that the U.S. CDC encourages the use of a “[COVID-19] flu shot” on children.

Verdict: Inaccurate

Read the full story at: Health Feedback

Factual Reads on Coronavirus

U.S. Public Now Divided Over Whether To Get COVID-19 Vaccine
Concerns about the safety and effectiveness of possible vaccine, pace of approval process
--Pew Research Center, September 17

The Carnival Cruise Ship That Spread Coronavirus Around the World
How were hundreds of infected Ruby Princess passengers allowed to disembark in Sydney and return to homes from Tasmania to Florida?
-- Bloomberg, September 15

New report says Covid-19 pandemic has caused historic setbacks in global health
A new report paints a bleak picture of the far-ranging impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
-- Stat, September 14

Why COVID-19 Cases in Europe Are Surging Back to March Levels — What This Means for the U.S.
What’s happening in Europe — and why — shares many parallels with the continued spread of the new coronavirus in the United States.
-- Healthline, September 13

Coronavirus: How It Infects Us and How We Might Stop It
How does SARS-CoV-2 sneak into our body? What can our immune system do and how can the virus sometimes defeat it? How do the leading drug and vaccine candidates work? Will the virus plague us forever?
-- Scientific American, September 9

The coronavirus is mutating — does it matter?
Different SARS-CoV-2 strains haven’t yet had a major impact on the course of the pandemic, but they might in future.
-- Nature, September 8

Coronavirus and the Flu: A Looming Double Threat
The two could come together, making things worse—or our new hygiene habits may actually reduce the flu’s spread
-- Scientific American, September 6

Campus outbreaks of COVID-19 were almost guaranteed
These are places designed around the idea of bringing lots of people to one place. Many of them bring people together from all over the world. They are perfect places for disease to spread.
-- The Conversation, September 2

Watch: Antibodies, immunity, and what they mean for Covid-19, explained
The immune system is no wimp. When pathogens cause illness, it kicks into high gear. Cells work together to tag, kill and gobble up invaders as they fight the infection.
-- Stat, May 5

The race for coronavirus vaccines: a graphical guide
Eight ways in which scientists hope to provide immunity to SARS-CoV-2.
-- Nature, April 28

The Best Coronavirus Myth-Busting Collections

COVID19 Infodemics Observatory

Agence France Presse

Snopes

BuzzFeed

Factcheck.org

Associated Press

Washington Post

TruthOrFiction

Mapping the COVID-19

Reliable Coronavirus Information

World Health Organization

U.S. Centers for Disease Control

Federation of American Scientists

Emergency Physicians

Johns Hopkins University & Medicine​

Pan American Health Organization

Google COVID‑19 Information & Resources

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